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CTV engineer Gerald Shirtcliff stripped of master's degree

Shirtcliff (pictured) is also being investigated by New Zealand police (file)

The man who oversaw the construction of Christchurch’s CTV building, in which killed 115 people died during the February 2012 earthquake, has had his engineering degree revoked.

Gerald Shirtcliff, a convicted fraudster who is being investigated by New Zealand police, has been accused of falsely assuming the identity of former friend William Fisher and faking his engineering degree.

The University of New South Wales told APNZ today that they stripped Shirtcliff of his degree after an investigation into the claims.

The 67-year-old had used a stolen degree and identity to gain admittance to the University of New South Wales, where he studied towards a master of engineering science.

A spokeswomen for the Australian university said in a statement the investigation into the allegations against Shirtcliff were complete, and it would be revoking his degree.

“UNSW has notified Mr Gerald Shirtcliff, otherwise known as William Fisher, that it has revoked the degree of Master of Engineering Science in Highway Engineering awarded to William Fisher on 17 April 1974.”

Shirtcliff has a previous conviction for fraud in New Zealand, being jailed for 20 months in 2005 for GST fraud.

While Shirtcliff has continually denied wrongdoing, the New Zealand police probe into his actions continues.